Jenna of kidAppeal left an insightful tip in response to Getting Enough Iron on a Vegetarian Diet:

soaking grains with whey reduces the amount of phytates, that should boost iron absorption.

I decided to research this further to understand why this might be so. First, a few definitions:

Whey: is the liquid portion of milk remaining after it is curdled with lemon juice or vinegar. Curdling is a common technique to make cheese. Only whey proteins from milk remain in this liquid while the majority of the milk proteins called casein are separated out in the curd. Because of the lemon juice or vinegar, the whey liquid is also acidic in nature.

Phytates: are salts of phytic acid, which is found in bran (outer layer of grains), seeds and plant tissues. Phytic acid binds to minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc to form these salts. When this happens, they become insoluble which reduces their absorption in the GI tract. Phytic acid and phytates are therefore not very desirable because of the risk of low mineral absorption in people who rely primarily on plant sources for nutrition. As a result, phytates and phytic  acid are sometimes collectively referred to as anti-nutrients.

Soaking grains in water is an ancient practice. It works very well to remove phytic acid especially when the soaking medium is acidic as in case of whey. Sprouting and lactic acid fermentation are some of the other methods of phytate removal.

Interestingly, the probiotic micro-organisms in the GI tract also provide an enzyme called phytase which can break the phytate salt complex to make it more soluble for better absorption.

Whey works, but you can also get the same benefit by using water with a little lemon juice or other media such as apple cider vinegar, coconut milk or water, kefir, buttermilk, thinned down yogurt (see The Nourishing Gourmet link below)

Don’t, however, treat phytates as the enemy – it does have some benefits especially for the health of your colon. Cleaerly everything in nature has a purpose!

Other resources:

Be kind to your grains – Weston Price foundation website
Soaking grains, soaking grain part 2 – The Nourishing Gourmet

I wanted to try these snacks from HappyBaby after I read Mothers of Invention, a story in the Wall Street Journal about Mom entrepreneurs. Plus, we had been getting similar snacks from Gerber like the fruit puffs and yogurt melts anyway, so this certified organic option had good appeal. I found them in our local Babies ‘R Us, but you can also find them  in Super Target and WinnDixie.

They taste quite good; even I couldn’t resist popping a few of these melts in my mouth!

Here is what we like about this product -

1. USDA certified organic
2. Contains live active cultures for digestive health
3. Contains 2X more protein than Gerber’s yogurt melts
4. Provides 13% vitamin D and 12% calcium for kids 1-4 year old. Gerber’s yogurt melts on the other hand contain no vitamin D and only 4% calcium
5. No saturated fat or trans fat, no cholesterol
6. Gluten free, no soy, no wheat

Here is what we don’t like about this product -

1. Slightly higher sodium than Gerber’s yogurt melts (don’t understand why!)
2. There is added sugar even though in small amounts
3. Very little fruit although the packaging prominently displays ripe strawberries! Don’t consider this a fruit substitute by any means, it has no fiber!
4. High cost. One trick I used was to mix a few melts in yoplait yogurt at snack time and offered it to my son! He loved the crunchy, quick melting texture with the otherwise soft fruity yogurt. You can also use plain yogurt.

Overall, we are very excited about this product. It can be a handy on-the-go snack. Give them a try and let us know your opinion.

Disclaimer – I have not received any sponsorship or free samples of product from Happy Baby for writing this review. For complete nutritional information and other products, visit HappyMelt’s website.

Photo Source: HappyBaby
©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

March is the National Nutrition Month with the theme of Nutrition from the Ground Up! I asked Dr. Husbands to share a few tips for parents so they could ensure proper nutrition for their kids and help them establish healthy eating habits early on.

Question: What does Nutrition from the Ground Up meant to you? What changes, if any, should I consider to make sure my child gets proper nutrition and develops healthy eating habits?

Answer:

Being a role model: Starting good dietary habits starts with what kids see their parents eating regularly. So it’s the parents responsibility to model good eating, healthy lifestyle and exercise habits to their children. One of the most common flaws in the parents diet is: insufficient amounts of fresh vegetables being regularly eaten! Kids pick up on this and they start to not like vegetables because the parents don’t.

Eating On the Run: Many parents allow their toddlers and young kids to take a bite of food, run and play, then take another bite, then run and play. This behavior may seem harmless and innocent enough, but the kids don’t really learn to taste and appreciate all the intricacies of different flavors and textures of foods. Note that you will rarely see kids doing this behavior with cake or ice cream…they want to savor every morsel of the sweet treat! Teach them to appreciate the differences in foods taste and textures by modeling mealtimes as a time to slow-down and really taste their food with sufficient chewing and calm, unhurried, visually pleasant meals. This also encourages proper digestion and absorption of nutrients, so the kids also get more nutrients assimilated!

Drinking Plenty of Water Between Meals: Water is one of the most important nutrients for our bodies, but most people I see in clinical practice neglect this fact. Most adults drink far too little water each day. As a general rule, most people should drink half an ounce of water per pound of bodyweight each day. This poor habit is often passed on to kids. This is also one factor in kids having atopic disorders, that is disorders of the mucous membrane linings and the skin. This includes atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergies. Adequate water alone is definitely not the only factor in these disorders, but is one of the factors that is easily addressed.

Ensuring adequate vitamin D: Vitamin D is one of those supernutrients and has been getting it’s due recognition lately. The RDA’s for vitamin D are set far too low, often times about 5 to 10 times too low for healthy functioning. Many infants and toddlers, due to various factors, can benefit from 1000 to 2000 IU of vitamin D/day. Also many middle school age to teenagers could benefit from 2000 to 3000 IU of vitamin D/day. Most adults should get a maintenance dose of about 3000 to 4000 IU/day. In cases of acute upper respiratory illnesses (colds and flu), even in toddlers and young children, a short term dose of 10,000 IU of vitamin D/day for a few days until the child gets over the cold or flu is helpful. A sufficiently high dose for adults (approximately 20,000 IU/day) is also beneficial for short term use in adults with upper respiratory illnesses.

Addressing clinical vitamin D deficiency immediately: In any person who has blood vitamin D levels measured below 20 ng/ml, they must take a short-term loading dose to get their blood vitamin D levels in the healthy range of about 40 to 80 ng/ml. For a few weeks, they may need to take 10,000 to 20,000 IU vitamin D/day, have their blood levels re-measured, then stay at a lower maintenance dose. It analogous to having a bucket of water with a slow leak, where by the time you see it, the bucket is almost empty: You have to put a lot of water in to top it off, but after topping it off, you just have to keep putting a little in regularly to keep it full.

Taking care of intestinal microflora: For anyone, anywhere at any age: If antibiotics are used, or if steroid inhalers, or topical steroid-containing creams are used, these drastically reduce the beneficial microflora that should be lining a healthy upper respiratory tract, the GI tract and all the mucous membrane linings. It is always, always, always necessary to replenish the beneficial microflora lining the gut and mucous membranes to prevent recurrent infections and damage to these linings to prevent more side effects, such as atopic associated diseases.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com. All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.

Greetings! Hope you have had another wonderful week in this new year and you are still on track with your resolutions (or priorities as I like to call them). I am saddened by the tragedy in Haiti. Every time I see a photo of an injured child waiting to be treated, I feel sad. It is encouraging to see an outpouring of support from the world community and I hope and pray that things will soon improve for the people of Haiti.

For this week’s Five for Fridays, I have compiled 5 excellent posts on recipes and tips from several blogs I follow. These are great bloggers and I encourage you to check their blogs out if you haven’t already done so.

Mushroom Rice Pilaf on KidAppeal

This is a very simple recipe, but more importantly, I like the way Jenna of Kid Appeal mixes nutrition information and tips on getting your kids involved in the cooking project. Kids love to make believe, and creating a plot involving the ingredients is a cool, creative way to get them engaged and learn about the good, the bad and the ugly of foods. As the article correctly points out at the end, this strategy is far better than the conventional “try one bite, it is good for you and you need to eat more”!

Tips for Homemade Yogurt on The Nourished Kitchen

If you are interested in making yogurt at home, this collection of practical tips will come in handy. Recent research is showing the health benefits of probiotics for all kinds of conditions. Yogurt is a great source of bacteria that are good for your system, but it is difficult to find products with low sugar. That is why homemade yogurt is such a great idea – not only can you save money, but you can also control what goes in your yogurt.

Vitamin D is often lacking from many yogurt products. This intrigues me because most milk has added vitamin D these days. Making yogurt at home using the milk in your refrigerator will ensure you get this vital nutrient in addition to the other benefits of yogurt (calcium, probiotics etc.)

It has been quite a while since I had homemade yogurt. We have gotten used to the convenience of buying different kinds of yogurts from the supermarket. Every week, we get a box of plain yogurt, about half-dozen small jars of fruit yogurts and kids yogurts. I am seriously considering trying the homemade option even if it means setting aside a few hours on the weekends to prepare it.

Feel free to share your tips if you make yogurt at home!

Gallo Pinto on A Life Less Sweet

Caty of A Life Less Sweet is one of my favorite bloggers not just because she is on a crusade against HFCS and a PhD Chemical Engineer, but also because of her very practical common-sense driven approach to food and nutrition. This recipe appeared in her Meatless Monday column, which is a great resource for those trying to cut down on meat from their diets.

Gallo Pinto is a dish made with cooked black beans and rice mixed with spices. This is an excellent – and an inexpensive way – to get a full supply of proteins in your diet. The recipe is very easy to make. I think you can also try it with red kidney beans, although we like to cook the beans and rice separately. Our favorite is Basmati rice, but you can also use brown rice.

Okra and Dal on Chow and Chatter

Rebecca of Chow and Chatter is the queen of simple but tasty Indian (South Asian) recipes. She also happens to be a Registered dietitian and a guest blogger on here, so you can be sure she knows her food!

This is a combo recipe to celebrate one of South India’s major festival called Pongal. Okra we all know, dal is basically a dish made from pulses (dried beans, lentils). These are simple and flavorful recipes which go very well with rice or naan, the Indian version of oven baked flatbread.

Okra recipe can be tricky to make because okra can very easily turn into a soft mush. If done right, the okra in this recipe should be crispy and relatively dry. Wash the whole okra prior to chopping it, and pat dry with a paper towel before you cut it.

Broccoli Parmesan on Raising Healthy Eaters

Broccoli is not a favorite of most people, us included. But I liked this recipe from registered dietitian Maryann Jacobsen because it is so simple and fast to make. I also like that the broccoli comes out crispy, and also the fact that they were a hit with her little daughter. Nothing like proven success to try it out yourself!

One of the recipes TwinToddlersMom makes is a sauted mix of broccoli with Salmon mixed with a few spices. Again the broccoli comes out crispy and flavorful. We will post it soon after we make it next.

I hope you will enjoy these recipes and share your thoughts in the comments section. Also, visit these blogs for other great kid-friendly recipes!

Photo Source: Crystl on Flickr
©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

This week, Dr. Douglas Husbands provides an update on nutritional supplements with practical application for the health of your children.

Question: What is the latest development in nutritional supplements for children?

Answer:

Hello everyone!  I’m delighted for my second opportunity to guest post here.  Since I just recently came back from the 2009 International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists Scientific Symposium, I’d like to share some information on nutrition supplements with practical application for the health of your children.

Vitamin D3

• Adequate to optimal levels of serum vitamin D levels in infants and children (between 30 to 60 ng/ml) are associated with decreased asthma and allergies, better brain development and healthy bone development.
• When visiting your pediatrician or Functional Medicine doctor, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels should be measured.
• It is estimated that between 50,000 to 70,000 deaths per year from various causes could be prevented by having adequate blood vitamin D levels.
• Many infants and children could benefit from supplementing with 1000 to 2000 IU of vitamin D daily, particularly during the winter months, if they cannot tolerate fatty fish, if they are darker skinned, or if their serum vitamin D levels are below 30 ng/ml.

Probiotics

• Probiotics help decrease abnormal intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut”.
• The appendix’s function is now known.  It is a repository for beneficial bacteria (probiotics) for the GI tract.  Supplemental probiotics help replenish the repository after antibiotic use or from use of corticosteroid creams or inhalers.
• Abnormal intestinal permeability allows gut-derived antigen exposure to the bloodstream; thereby distant, seemingly unassociated autoimmune symptoms can arise from a “leaky gut”.
• Due to immature GI tract development, it is best that infants are breastfed for at least his/her first 12 months.
• Many pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers would do well to supplement with the probiotic strain Lactobacillus GG (aka Lactobacillus rhamnosus) at a dose of 4 billion/day and Vitamin D3 at a dose of 4000 IU/day for potentially decreasing likelihood of asthma, eczema, allergies, type 1 diabetes, and autoimmune disorders in their babies.

Curcumin

• Curcumin, a component of turmeric, has powerful anti-inflammatory properties to inhibit inflammatory mediators, exhibiting therapeutic potential in asthma (and other inflammatory disorders)

©2009 Littlestomaks.com. All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.

Greetings! Fall is in the air and I really love this time of the year. There is a cool, crisp freshness in the air, especially in the morning and just before the sunset. We are having a lot of fun with the twins playing outdoors in the yard or going around the block with them on their tricycles. Hopefully you all are having fun too. And yes, the Holidays are not that far off either!

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for another Five for Fridays! Here are 5 interesting nutrition stories of the week that caught my eye. Enjoy and drop a comment to let me know what’s on your mind.

Maximize your child’s nutrition at every stage

Registered Dietitian Maryann Jacobsen has written a very nice and comprehensive guide to help you maximize your child’s nutrition at every stage, from birth to school years. What I liked about her post is that she describes very clearly the recommended levels of different nutrients and offers great feeding tips at every age. For preschoolers, it is important to build healthy eating habits early on by striking a balance between their desire for sugary, fatty and high energy snacks and balanced homemade meals. Eating as a family is highly recommended, although it is no easy feat to accomplish!

For school-age children, watch out for deficiencies in vitamin E, D, calcium, magnesium, potassium and fiber. Get them to eat with you as a family and encourage them to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Most of all, don’t give up, keep trying and fight the battle by being a role model.

Too much marketing hype behind probiotics

There is a lot of buzz around probiotics these days! People have been eating yogurt for a long time, but it is only recently that food marketers have realized they can make it sexier by using the immunity claim on the package. This kind of advertising is hard to resist, especially when it comes to products for kids. Even we fell for the DanActive Immunity Probiotic Drink, which claimed to have a new more absorbable yogurt culture but it contained a lot of sugar and it was super expensive. All kinds of claims are being made to pull customers. I was surprised to lean that Dannon recently settled a class-action lawsuit Activia yogurts and DanActive yogurt drinks.

When it comes to probiotics, not every strain of the bacteria is equally effective. Consumers should be informed about the specific probiotic strain in the product and its scientifically proven benefits. The L. Casei Immunitas^TM strain in DanActive drinks has been shown to reduce illness in children attending daycare. But there is very little evidence of general immunity or resistance to disease from these probiotics. In my opinion, these new products are not worth the extra money and you should watch out for added sugar. In the meantime, plain yogurt with home-made fruit puree is a very decent affordable option!

Schools start cooking fresh food for a healthier lunch

Yes there are a lot of regulations for school kitchens, there is little or no equipment and there aren’t any skilled cooks on the staff. Plus it is simply easier to serve straight out of a package after a quick reheat. No wonder over 80% of the school districts in the country cook less than half of their entrees from scratch according to a 2009 survey by the School Nutrition Association. School lunches have neither appealing nor appetizing for kids!

I was happy to read about one middle school in New York which is trying to do things differently to encourage kids to eat better at lunch. Mostly due to the efforts of its principal and the cafeteria manager, a few new ideas are being implemented. A curry chicken recipe is one such idea especially popular among the students. The bread is whole wheat, pasta is whole grain and milk is low fat. There are salad bars and deli bars. More importantly, these leaders believe that “the children need a little flair in the food, it is good for their brains”. Amen to that!

Omega-3 cheese may soon become available

A new study shows the promise of formulating cheese with fish-derived omega-3 without the fishy smell. Scientists have developed a technique to add omega-3 as an emulsion to the cheese to make it stable and mask the fishy smell. It is still at the research stage but I am sure there will soon be a commercial product given the huge consumer interest in omega-3 fatty acids. I think it is a good innovation even though only a small amount of omega-3 can be added to cheese by this technique.

Omega-3 fatty acids are called essential fatty acids because the human body cannot make them. They are good for growing children because they help in visual and brain function development. Diet and supplements are the only source of these nutrients. Cheese is popular among children, therefore omega-3 fortification of cheese makes sense. When it becomes available, watch out for saturated fats and trans fats before tossing it in your shopping cart!

A fun way to learn about nutrition

Cathy of A Life Less Sweet provided a link to Nourish Interactive, a website which is trying to educate parents and kids about nutrition by using online games. It looks very interesting, and best of all, membership is free. Parents and kids can learn together by trying out these games, puzzles and challenges. You will need to create an account for your child to play free. There are many useful interactive tools such as a healthy meal planner which helps you calculate the daily calories for different foods based on your child’s age. I plan to check it out in detail. If you do try it, let me know what you think.

Enjoy your weekend!

Photo source -chefranden on Flickr via everystockphoto
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

In her recent article Vaccine for ear infections soon to be on the market,  Chicago Family Health Examiner Jasmine Jafferali, MPH, wrote that the underlying cause of chronic ear infections in children could be milk allergy. I was so intrigued by this suggestion that I contacted her to address this idea in a Question-Answer format for my blog. If your child is suffering from chronic ear infections and you are concerned about excessive use of antibiotics, this article is a must read for you! Let me know what you think!

Question: You have said that milk allergy is an underlying cause for chronic ear infections. Can you provide a credible reference to support this?

Jasmine: Dr. Greene, a prominent pediatrician,  has discussed a link to milk allergies and ear infections.  Up to 40 percent of kids who suffer from chronic ear infections has a milk allergy.  In fact a 1997 report on food allergies in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that cow’s milk allergies tend to hit children in their infancies, showing up as colic, acid reflux or eczema.  However many pediatricians are overlooking the possibility of food allergies, especially milk allergies to chronic ear infections.

Question: How can parents recognize the signs of food allergy and dairy allergy in particular?

Jasmine: Although a child can develop an allergy to almost any food, well over 90 percent of food allergies in children are caused by one of only six foods: milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, and tree nuts. The immediate symptoms of food allergies in babies and toddlers are irritability, colic, wheezing (sometimes asthma), a minor rash, chronic runny nose, or itchy eyes. These more immediate symptoms are less likely to occur than slower onset symptoms, which your baby can experience seven to 10 days after exposure to cow’s milk.  These more common symptoms include diarrhea (possibly with blood), abdominal cramps, vomiting, coughing, gagging, acid reflux, ear infections, runny nose, eczema and colic.

Food allergies is becoming more and more common in our children.  Parents are fearful and the information out there is confusing.  These findings are all consistent with the 2008 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines that overturned previous recommendations by declaring that there is no evidence that delaying any food beyond 4 to 6 months helps prevent allergies at all — for healthy term children who are not already allergic.  However, many parents get quite excited introducing solids to their infants.  Remember, the main source of nutrition for an infant is breastmilk or formula for the first year of life and solid food is meant to be the supplement.  Look for signs that your baby is ready to eat solids.

Question: What kind of questions should parents ask when an antibiotic is prescribed?

Jasmine: If an antibiotic is prescribed some questions to ask are:

1. Is the infection bacterial or viral?  If viral, then antibiotics will not improve symptoms of the ear infection.  It is like being prescribed antibiotics for a cold.  Ask for possible alternatives.
2. Where is the location of the infection?  If the infection is in the middle ear, ask if waiting it out is an option and what you can do to help minimize their pain.  Eighty percent of ear infections will resolve on its own within 4 to 7 days without antibiotics.  WebMD wrote an article on this study back in 2005.
3. If my child must take antibiotics, can I give them some probiotics after the finished antibiotics to help replenish their good bacteria?  (remember antibiotics kills BOTH good and bacteria and you have replace the good back into the body)  Studies are showing the benefits of taking probiotics after antibiotic treatment and during cold and flu season.

Question: How can parents tell if they are exposing their child to excessive antibiotic use?

Jasmine: If you are in the doctor’s office for the third time in one year getting another round of antibiotics it is time to ask the long term effects of getting the antibiotics and start looking into the underlying cause for the chronic condition.  If your child is an infant, you may want to switch formulas where the formula is more broken down and easier for your baby to digest.  Or if you are breastfeeding looking at your own diet as possible issues.

Question: Can ear infections be treated without the use of antibiotics?

Jasmine: Often, an antibiotics is prescribed to treat the ear infection. According to the June 2009 British Medical Journal article, prescribing antibiotics leads to more ear infections.  In fact, if the children had taken antibiotics, there was a 63 percent chance they’d had at least one subsequent infection. The risk was only 43 percent for children who’d been given an inactive placebo.  Other studies show that it takes children only three days longer to recover from the middle ear infection without antibiotic treatment.  (see the WebMD article)

There are alternate treatments to chronic ear infections.  In fact, my own grandmother used some of these home remedies on us when we suffered from ear infections.

1. Warm compresses with a warm washcloth. Do not put the water in the ear and make sure the washcloth is not too hot.
2. Hyland’s ear drops is used with a confirmed diagnosed ear infection.  This can be purchased at your local drugstore or health food store.
3. Warm olive oil, or warm garlic infused olive oil: In test tube studies garlic has been found to have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity-garlic is a natural antiseptic!  Chop 2 garlic cloves and allow the small pieces to marinate in a half cup of olive oil for a day (if you can’t wait proceed to warming the oil over the stove).  Warm the oil slowly over the stove, it should be warm to your touch.  Get an ear dropper and put a few drops into the ear.  You may add a few more drops later in the day, the first round should do the trick.  This mix will last for about two weeks.  Many parents are turned off by this home remedy, however, there are plenty that use and swear by this method.
4. Echinacea – this is an herb which can safely and effectively boost the immune system.  Click on Dr. Greene’s guide to using Echinacea properly.
5. Chiropractic care – chiropractic adjustments to the skull and neck can improve middle ear drainage and decrease ear infections.  Many parents are finding relief going this route

Using a combo of the above will be helpful such as warm compresses and whichever remedy you choose.
WARNING – if you see any liquid or pus draining out of the ear, DO NOT PUT ANY OF THE ABOVE DROPS INTO THE EAR.

Question: Can you give suggestions to dairy alternatives if dairy allergy is found to be the cause of ear infections?

Jasmine: If you child has a confirmed milk allergy with an ELISA allergy testing, then eliminating all dairy can be a difficult transition for your child.  Finding the right dairy substitute is tricky.  Often kids allergic to dairy are often or have a hard time digesting soy.  As rice cereal was probably your child’s first food, rice milk is a nice alternative and easy to digest.  If there are no tree nut allergies, almond milk is another great substitute.  If you are concerned about your child getting the fat from the milk, you may add up to 1tsp of flax oil to the milk substitute.   There is now coconut milk yogurt and coconut milk ice cream which is both delicious and provides some great health benefits.  So Delicious is a wonderful brand and your child will not miss out.

©2009 Littlestomaks.com

It was purely by chance that I added this product to my shopping cart this weekend. I was looking for our regular small drinkable yogurt bottles for kids from Dannon. I did not remember the exact brand. Turns out we were buying Danimals^® Drinkables which comes in a 6-pack of 3.1 fl oz bottles. Anyway, I was intrigued by the immunity claim on the packaging, which also prominently displayed the marketing name of the active probiotic culture L. Casei Immunitas^TM. Another bold statement on the package claimed that it was clinically proven to help strengthen your body’s defenses. Worth checking it out I said to myself.

Both of our twins loved it. In fact they have been drinking a couple of these bottles every day!

Here is what we like about this product -

1. L. Casei Immunitas^TM is supposed to be more resistant to the stomach acid compared to other  yogurt cultures. Which means that more of it will end up in the small intestines where it is supposed to help maintain the right microbial environment.
2. It has a high amount of protein, calcium and potassium.
3. No trans fats and very low saturated fat.
4. It tastes quite good!

Here is what we don’t like about this product -

1. Main problem – too much sugar! One 3.1 oz bottle contains 13 g sugar. My guess is that nearly half of it is added sugar. No wonder the kids liked it so much. By the way, the Danimals^® Drinkables are no better – one bottle contains 14 g sugar, although it has more vitamins and minerals.
2. It is not organic.
3. It is super expensive – a 6 pack costs $4.89 at my local store. It come to about 80 cents per bottle, which is way more than even milk or a homemade smoothie. Not sure if a slightly higher amount of bacteria reaching the gut is worth this much more! Eat more of plain yogurt and mix it with fresh fruit puree!!

Because of its sugar content and high price, I give it a thumbs down even though our kids loved it! This will only fuel their sweet addiction!!

Have you tried it? What is your opinion?

Disclaimer – I have not received any sponsorship or free samples of product from Dannon for writing this review. For complete nutritional information and other products, visit Dannon’s website.

©2009 Littlestomaks.com

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Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

This week, Dr. Douglas Husbands recommends a few good nutritional supplements for your toddler.

Question: What are good nutritional supplements for toddlers 2-5 years old?

Answer:

The majority of the research shows that nutritional supplementation is currently necessary in addition to a healthy diet to meet adequate and especially optimal nutrient requirements, of most people.  In fact, according to an article published earlier this decade in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), it is advisable for physicians to  recommend nutritional supplements to their patients and that most people require nutritional supplements to make up for the shortcomings in their diet.  Additionally because many modern farming practices often do not adequately replenish the nutrients in the soil, the vegetables and fruits grown today commonly have lower nutrient content than the same vegetables and fruits harvested many years ago. Therefore supplements for toddlers are also advisable.

Since toddlers are often picky eaters, a good multivitamin/multimineral supplement formulated for toddlers is a good start.  There are various chewables on the market which often contain some type of sugar, but you preferably want one that is lightly sweetened with xylitol rather than fructose.  Avoid any brand sweetened with table sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Xylitol is a natural sugar causing minimal changes in blood sugar and insulin levels, and does not feed the bacteria causing tooth decay.

Another good way of getting a multivitamin/multimineral supplement into your toddler is to use a powdered supplement.  This is convenient in that many of these powdered supplements can be easily dosed according to the child’s age or weight for the proper amount.  They can also be easily mixed in some of the child’s beverages or foods.  There are various brands on the market, but be sure to purchase one especially formulated for toddlers, read labels carefully to avoid those with table sugar or fructose.   Any good one formulated for toddlers will not contain iron.

One of the supplements with the greatest amount of scientific research supporting its use in toddlers and children is fish oil.  Fish oil contains the essential omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).   Since a large proportion of brain tissue is made of DHA, this is particularly important in the toddler years where brain growth is occurring.  Fish oil given in children is also associated with decreased risk of developing type 1 diabetes.  A study published in JAMA in September 2007 found that among 1770 infants and toddlers at high risk for developing type 1 diabetes, those toddlers who obtained supplemental omega 3 fatty acids from cod liver oil had significantly decreased risks of the development of type 1 diabetes. Approximately 1 gram of fish oil each day is beneficial for many toddler aged children.

Since cod liver oil also contains vitamin D, the beneficial effect of supplemental vitamin D is also well supported by research for being protective against the development of type 1 diabetes in toddlers and children.  Additionally, since vitamin D has multiple benefits, the latest research supports toddlers getting a total of approximately 1000 to 2000 IU of vitamin D each day.  Supplemental Vitamin D comes in different forms, but the advisable form is vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).   Do not purchase one that is made with ergocalciferol!  Vitamin D is essential for immune function, proper bone growth, proper brain function, and proper growth hormone output, among other functions, so optimal levels of vitamin D are vitally important for healthy, happy toddlers.

Probiotics would also be among my recommended supplements for infants and toddlers.  Probiotics is a general term describing various strains of the beneficial bacteria that should reside in adequate numbers within the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.  These strains have specific names such as Bifidobacterium infantis, Lactobacillus plantarum and variations thereof.  Probiotics have many functions in supporting a healthy and balanced immune system and in supporting proper nutrient digestion and absorption. It is critically important for newborns delivered via C-section to begin probiotics, and for any infant or toddler who has been given an antibiotic to be given probiotics.  The recommended strains of probiotic and dose are dependent on the age and physical state of the child.  A knowledgeable health professional well educated and experienced in nutrition should be consulted for specific dose and strains of probiotics for your particular child.

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